Automatic car fender and sweeper.



AUTOMATIC GAR FENDER AND SW EEPBR.

'APBLIOATION FILED MAR. a6, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

755L255; A ln v 'n r b r.

f, a LZM 5% PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

0; P. GATHCART.

AUTOMATIC GAR FENDER AND SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30| 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- H0 MODEL.

PATEMED AUG. 25

0. Pk. @FATHiQBAR'I. AUTQMATIEG GAR: FEEDER AND. SWEEPBR,

urmmmoifi Iii-LED MAR, 3,0, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

NO MODEL.

ens co won Witnesses:

*NITED' STATES? Patented. August 25,1903.

PATENTS OFFICE.

CHARLES P. OATHCAR'I, or KANSAS-"CITY, Miss-0on1.

AUTOMATlC CAR FENDER AND swEEP'sR,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 737,076, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed March so. 1903. Serial No. 150.318. (a. model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. CATHCART, a citizen of the United States, residing in Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Car Fenders and Sweepers, of which the following is a*speci fi cation, reference being had therein to the'accom panyi ng drawings, forming a part thereof;

My invention relates to improvements in car fenders and sweepers.

In an application for a patent filed by me July 14, 1902, Serial No. 115,480, I have shown and described a car fender and sweeper in which a rot-atable guard or brushnormally held in an elevated position above the cartrack and disposed transverselythereto is provided with means by which the guard may be lowered adjacent to the track and when so lowered may be caused to rotate by mechanism actuated by the rotation of the car wheel or axle. The mechanism described in the said application further includes means by which the guard may be lowered by the striking of an object against a supplemental fender provided for'the'purpos'e.

My present invention, while retaining some of the features set forth in the prior application referred to, dispenses with themechan ism requiring the employment of the car wheel or axle for the purpose of rotating the guard and substitutes for this purpose an independent motor carried by the car. i

My present invention. provides, further, means by which the motor-driving means is controlled by the raising andlowering of the guard. Means are further providedby which the supplemental fender, which is adapted to guard or be struck by an object on the track, controls the closing of an electric circuit in which the motor is located, thereby controlling the d riving of the motor.

By the use of an independent motor instead of depending upon the momentum of the moving car to' rotate the guard the rotation of the guard may be started more gradually. Its use further enables the employment of the invention upon electric cars in which the axlespace between the wheels is wholly taken by the motor mechanism for propelling the cars. and upon which there would be no room to prior invention, abo'vereferred to.

scribed and claimed.

'trate my present inventiomhigure l is a top view, a portion of the car-frame being broken away. Fig. 2 is aview, partlyin elevation idirection indicated by the arrow in Fig.1. In this view the guard is'shown in the raised position. Fig.3 is a View similar to that shown in Fig. 2, the guard being shown in the lowered position. Fig. 4 is a top View,

ism andsome of the parts connected therewith and a portion of the rotatable guard and po'r'tipns ofthe driving mechanism con- .nected thereto.

trolling mechanism is shown in the closed position. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit on which the motor is located. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken, on the dotted'linea b of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an end elevation view of thesupplemental fender and'parts connected thereto, the fender being shown in fthe raised position. Fig. 8 is -aview similar to that shown in'Fig. 7, the supplemental fender being shown in the lowered position. Fig. 9 is an end elevation view of the motor looking at the end oppositeto the one provided with the bevel-gear on the armature-shaft. Similar characters of s'imilar'partsg l i ndicates a portion of'the car-truck, to fwhich is sec'ured the framework of'the fender, -comprisin g a horizontal rod 22, secured at one end to" the car-truck and at the other end to a block' 3, to which is also secured a horizontal'rod' 4, disposed obliq'uely to'therod 2. Supported at the rear end ofthe rod 4 is a yoke 5, in which is rotatably m'ounteda transverse shaft 6, upon which is secured a bevel gear-wheel 7, which meshes'with a smaller bevel gear-wheel 'S, mounted'upon and r0- tatable with the armature-shaft 9. The forwardend of the rod 4 is secured to a housing 10, provided with two vertical hollow downwardly-extending arms 11. A horizontal rod reference indicate mount the.gua i 'd -rotating mechanism of the In the accompanying drawings, which illus and partly in vertical'sec'tion, looking in the 12 extends transversely across the track at Other novel features are hereinafter deeularged, of the circuit-"controlling inechau- In this view the circuit con- 73 cured at its rear end to the car-truck 1.

Blocks 15 are secured to the rod 12 between the rods 4 and 14. Stay-rods 16 are secured at their forward ends to the blocks 15 and at their rear ends to the rod 2.

The rotatable guard comprises a horizontal drum 17, disposed under and parallel with the rod 12, and is provided with a number of radial bristles or wooden slivers 18, disposed around the periphery of the drum. The drum 17 is mounted on a rotatable shaft 19, the ends of which are secured in boxings 20, from the upper sides of which extend two vertical rods 21, mounted in openings provided therefor in the arms 11. A rock-shaft 22, parallel to and in the rear of the rod 12, is rotatably mounted in the housings 10 and is provided at each end with a crank-arm 23, to each of which is pivotally secured the upper end of a connecting-rod 24, the lower end of each rod 24 being pivotally secured one to each boxing 20. By rocking the shaft 22 the drum 17 may be raised or lowered. Secured to a bracket 25, mounted on the crank-arm 26, which in turn is secured upon the rockshaft 22, is a pivoted pawl 27, the outer end of which is adapted to engage a projection 28 on the block 29, which is rotatably mounted on the rod 12. Upon the rod 12 are also rotatably mounted two blocks 30 and 31, to which and to the block 29 is secured the supplemental fender 32, preferably rectangular in shape and provided with netting 33. The lower end of the crank-arm 26 is bifurcated and provided with transverse holes, in which is secured a bolt 34, to which is pivoted the rear end of a yoke 35, the forward end of which is provided with a central hole, in which is longitudinally movable the rear end of a forwardly-extending rod 36, the forward end of which is pivotally connected to the supplemental fender-frame 32. The rearend of the rod 36 is provided with a transverse hole, in which is secured inside the yoke a pin 37, which holds the rod 36 connected with the yoke. Between the rod 36 and the pin 34 is a compression-spring 38, the tension of which is such as to force the rod 36 and the fender 32 forward. To the bolt 34 is pivoted the forward end of a rearwardly-extending rod 39, the rearend of which is pivotally connected with a horizontal bell-crank lever 40, rigidly secured upon the lower end of a rotatable vertical operating-shaft 41, supported suitably from the truck 1. Upon the upper end of the shaft 41 is secured a crank-arm 42, by which the shaft may be turned to raise or lower the guard. The other arm of the bellcrank lever 40 is adapted to make connection with the cont-acts of a rheostat 43, supported in any desirable manner from the truck 1. hen the shaft 41 is swung so as to swing the bell-crank lever 40 to the position shown in Fig, 1, the drum 17 will be raised and the contact-arm of the bell-crank lever 40 will have broken the circuit of which it and the rheostat 43 form a part. A wire 44 connects the rheostat 40 with an ordinary electric m0- for 45, which is located in the electric circuit and is connected by a wire 46 with a battery 47 or other suitable electrical generator. A wire 48 connects the battery 47 with the hellcrank lever 40 through the shaft 41. At each end of the motor are secured upwardlyextending arms 49, the upper ends of which are secured to the car-truck 1. On the drum 17 is mounted asprocket-wheel 50, connected by a sprocket-chain 51 with a sprocket-wheel 52, secured to and rotatable with the shaft 6, on which is mounted the bevel-gear 7.

In operating my invention the parts are normally in the positions shown in Fig. 2. An object on the track will strike the supplemental fender 32, causing the fender to be swung downward on the rod 12 against. the pressure-of the spring 38. The crank-arm 26 will be swung thereby with the rock-shaft 22 until the projection 28 is released from the pawl 27. At this time the drum 17 will be free to fall by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3. The downward movement of the drum 17 will cause the shaft 22 to rock, so as to force the rod 39 rearwardly, thus swinging the bell-crank lever 40 to the position shown in Fig. 4, at which time the free arm of the bell-crank lever will have passed over the different contacts of the rheostat 43 and closing the electric circuit in which are located the battery 47 and the motor 45. The current from the battery will now cause the armature of the motor to rotate, rotating with it the armature-shaft 9 and the gear-wheel 8, mounted on the armature-shaft. Rotation of the gear 8 is imparted to the drum 17 through the gear '7, sprocket-wheels and 52, and the sprocket-chain 51. The direction of rotation of the drum is such that any object on the track will be brushed forward along the track or 0d at one side. When it is desired to raise the drum 17 and stop its rotation, the operator may turn the crank 42 to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus breaking the circuit by swinging the bell-crank lever 40 out of contact with the rheostat 43 and through the intermediacy of the mechanism described cause the drum to be raised to the position shown in Fig. 2. By swinging the crank 42 the operator may lower the drum 17 and cause it to be rotated by switching the current of the battery into the circuit in which is located the motor which drives the drum 17. The guard may then be used to sweep the track clear of snow ordirt. By employing an independent source of power for rotating the drum 17 the drum may be rotated as fast as desirable irrespective of how fast or how slow the car may be moving.

My invention may be modified in many ways without departing from its spirit.

means for, generating a current in said Gil? cuit, means connected with the motor forrotating the guard, and means actuated by striking an object for controllingthe current in said circuit.

3. In a'car-fender, the combination witha rotatable guard, of an electric motor,-an electric circuit in which the motor is located;

means for generating a current in said circuit,

means for openingand closing said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, and means actuated by striking an object for closing said circuit.

4. In acar-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the same, a motor, means for driving the motor, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, and means actuated whenxthe guard is lowered for controlling the motor-driving means.

' 5. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatableguard, of means for raising and lowering the same, a motor, means for driving the motor, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, means actuated when the guard is lowered for controlling the motor-driving means, and means actuated by striking an object for controlling the lowering of the guard.

6.. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the same, an electric motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means for generating a current in said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, means actuatedwhen the guard is lowered for controlling the current in said circuit, and means actuated by striking an object for controlling the lowering of the guard.

7. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lo wering the same, an electric motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means forgeneratingacurrent'in said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard and means actuated by the lowering of the guard for controlling the current in said circuit.

8. In a car-fender, the combination with a the guard is lowered.

9.. In acar-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the same, an electric motor, an electric circuit inwhich the motor islocated, means for generating a current insaid circuit-,means. for opening and closing said circuit, means connectedwith the motor for rotating the;

guard, means for closing the circuit when the guard is lowered, and means actuated by striking an object for lowering the guard. v

10. Ina car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of a rock-shaft, means conguard,- and means for closing'the circuit when nected therewith for moving the guardup;

ward and down ward when the shaft is rocked, releasable locking means for preventing rockingof the shaft, means for controlling said locking means, a motor, means 'for. driving the motor, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, and means actuated when the guard is lowered for controlling the driving-of the motor. 4

11. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of a rock-shaft, means con:

nected therewith for moving the guard upward and downward when the shaftis rocked, releasable means for preventing rocking of the shaft, means for controlling said locking means, amotor, means for driving the motor when the guard is lowered, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, and

means actuated by strikingan object for controlling the driving-of the motor.

12. In a car-fender, the combination .with a rotatable guard,.of a rock-shaft, means connected therewith for controlling the upward and downward movement ofthe guard, asu-pplemental fender, releasable means controlled.

by the movement of the supplemental fender for preventing rocking of the rock-shaft, a motor, means connected with themotor for rotating the guard, means for driving the motor, and means actuated by the movement of the supplemental fender for controlling the driving of the motor.

13. In. a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the guard, a supplemental fender,

means controlled by the movement of the sup plemental fender for controlling the raising and lowering means, a motor,' means for driving the motor,means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, and means controlled by the movement of the supplemental fender for controlling the driving of the motor.

14. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatableguard, of a motor, means for driving the motor, means connected with the mo- .tor for rotating the guard, asupplemental fender, and means controlled bythe move ment of the supplementalfender for controh ling the driving of the motor. I 15. In a car-fender, the combination wit a rotatable guard, of a motor, anelectric cir cuit in which the motor is located, means for generating a current in said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, a supplemental fender, and means controlled by the movement of the supplemental fender for controlling a current in said circuit.

16. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of a motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means for generating a current in said circuit, means for opening and closing said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, a supplemental fender, and means connected with the supplemental fender for controlling the opening and closing of said circuit.

17. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the same, a motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means for generating a current in said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, a supplemental fender,means connected with the supplemental tender for controlling the lowering of the guard, and means actuated by the lowering of the guard for controlling a current in said circuit.

18. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the same, a motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means for generating a current in said circuit, means for opening and closing said circuit, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, a supplemental fender, and means connected with the supplemental fender for controlling the lowering of the guard and the opening and closing means.

19. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of means for raising and lowering the same, a motor, an electric circuitin which the motor is located, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard,

means for generating a current in said circuit, means controlled by the raising and lowering means for controlling the opening and closing of the circuit, a supplemental fender, and means connected with the supplemental fender for controlling the lowering of the guard.

20. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of an electric motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, a rotatable shaft, means connected with the shaft for raising and lowering the guard, releasable means for preventing the lowering of the guard, asupplemental fender, means connected with the supplemental fender for controlling said releasable means, and means connected with the rotatable shaft for opening and closing said circuit.

2i. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of a motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, and means actuated by striking an object for controlling the closing of said circuit.

22. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of a motor, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, means connected with the motor for rotating the guard, means for raising and lowering the guard, means for opening and closing the said circuit, and means actuated by striking an object for controlling the closing of said circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES P. C ATHCART.

Witnessesz WARREN D. HOUSE, R. E. HAMILTON. 

